Metallic post.



' PATENTED MAR. 7, 1905.

L. C. SHARP. METALLIC POST.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 14. 1904.

IVQiM Patented March 7, 1905 PATENT OFFICE.

LEE C. SHARP, OF PLATTSMOUTH, NEBRASKA.

METALLIC POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,437, dated March 7, 1905.

Application filed May 14, 1904. Serial N0- 208,036.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, LEE (1. SHARP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plattsmouth, in the county of Cass and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Metallic Posts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to metallic posts. and more particularly to posts built up from stamped, pressed, or rolled metal.

It is the object thereof to provide a post of metal embodying the usual advantages of the use of such material and in addition thereto being built up from stamped or pressed sheet metal in such manner as to secure a maximum of strength with the use of a minimum weight of material, providing means for driving the same into the ground, providing for the purposes of fence construction a post having means for fastening wire thereto at varying heights without the use of staples, and embodying other advantageous and economical features.

My invention consists in the particular constructions and combinations of parts shown in the accompanying drawings and hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a post embodying my invention and showing the same as adapted to use as a fencepost. Fig. 2 is a sectional perspective of the lower part of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation of the wire-fastening means used in the fence-post and showing the wire in position ready to be fastened. Fig. 4 is asimilar view showing the fastener as closed. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a special form of hammer adapted to drive the post into the ground, and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same.

The post shown is constructed from sheet metal plates pressed, stamped, or rolled into form similar to the standard steel section known as a trough-plate. The said troughsections are of two forms-viz., the long and comparatively narrow sections 1, the same comprising all of that portion of the post intended to be placed above ground, and the wider and shorter ground-engaging sections 9., forming, together with the lower parts of the sections 1, that portion of the post intended to be placed in the ground.

In assembling the parts of the post two of the sections 1 are placed back to back, and at the lower end of each of the said sections one of the sections 2 is placed, litting into the sections 1 and extending somewhat less than half their length below the bottom of the said sections, as represented. All the sections are then lirmly riveted together by rivets 4. The lower ends of the sections 2, extending below the bottom of the sections 1, are forced together and secured by rivets 5, as shown.

In the adaptation of the post for fence construction wire-receiving recesses 6 are formed in the edges of the upper portions of the sections 1, said recesses being of uniform width, wide enough to easily receive the wire used, and curving downwardly and inwardly in such manner that the tongue 7 formed thereby is slightly wider at the lower or attached end thereof than at the upper or free end thereof. The said wire-receiving recesses are preferably cut into the sections at the time the same are stamped or pressed into form and the number and spacing of the recesses made different at each edge of the sections, so that the same post may be used for fences having different numbers of wires differently spaced. The recesses may, however, be cut by any suitable means, such as a hand-punch, after the sections are assembled or at the time of using the posts in fence construction, the recesses in this case being of a number and spacing adapted to the circumstances.

In fastening wire to the post the same is laid into one of the recesses in the manner shown in Fig. 3, and the tongue 7 is bent inwardly by a blow with a hammer or in other suitable manner, thus partially closing the mouth of the recess, as shown in Fig. 4L, and preventing accidental removal of the wire therefrom. The wire may be removed from the recess at any time by driving the same outwardly, thus bending the tongue 7 out to its original position and releasing the wire. The form of the tongue 7, being wider at the attached than at the free end thereof, tends to prevent the same from clamping tightly on the wire, thus allowing for expansion and contraction of the same, the wire sliding freely through the opening and not being tightly bound therein.

To facilitate driving the post into the ground, the lower edges of the ground-engaging sections are slightly tapered, as represented. The posts may be driven into the ground by means of the special form of hammer shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the said hammer comprising the U-shaped body 8, having the handles 9 on the sides thereof. 10 therein is substantially rectangular and of a size such that the sections 1 may pass freely through the same. To drive the postinto the ground, the same is placed in the desired position, the hammer is placed around the sections 1, and the same repeatedly raised and dropped onto the shoulder formed by the upper edges of the ground-engaging sections 2.

The posts may be protected from rust and corrosion by suitable treatment after assembling, such as dipping in paint, galvanizing, or vitrifying.

It will be obvious that posts constructed according to my invention may be cheaply manufactured, being adaptable to manufacture by automatic machinery and using a minimum amount of material compatible with the needed strength. The strength of this form of post proportionate to its weight is about equal to that of ahollow columnar structure, at the same time providing a form open at every side forthe application of protective coatings and when placed in the ground offering much greater resistance to either lateral or vertical displacement. Further, the outwardly-extending edges of the sections 1, having the wire-receiving recesses at varying heights thereon, render it possible to use the same post for fences of different character. For example, wire-netting or two, four, five,

The opening six, or eight strand wire fence might be placed on the same form of post. noniical features are its adaptability for driving, thus avoiding the digging of post-holes, the wire-fastening means avoiding the use of staples or other separate fastening means, practical indestructibility, fireproofness, uniformity, small storage-space requirements, and light shipping weight.

\Vhile I have shown and in general described the adaptation of my post to fence construction, the same form of construction may be employed for telegraph and telephone poles, posts for supporting mail-boxes, and the like.

Now having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States, is

1. A metallic post comprising two troughseetions secured together back to back, and two ground-engaging sections of similar form fitting into and secured to the former, the edges of the latter sections extending laterally beyond the edges of the former and forming a shoulder adapted to be engaged by suitable means for driving the post into the ground.

2. A metallic post comprisingfour troughshaped sections secured together by suitable means, two of said sections being placed back to back and forming the upper part of the post, the other two sections fitting into and being secured to the lower portions of the former sections, and the edges of the latter sections extending laterally beyond the edges of the former and forming the ground-engaging portion of the post.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEE C. SHARP.

\Vitnesses:

(J. B. REYNOLDS, l). O. BARNELL.

Other eco- 

